Sealing device for tubular shafting



A INVENTOR ARMA/s ARI/TU/voF/f ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1953 A. ARUTUNOFF SEALING DEVICE FOR TUBULAR SHAFTING Filed Dec. 6, 1951 Patented Dec. 29, 1953 UNITED STATE r'rENT OFFICE SEALING DEVICE FOR TUBULAR SHAFTING v Armais Arutunoff, Bartlesville, Okla.

Application December 6, 1951, Serial No. 260,177

My invention consists in new and useful improvements in sealing meansV for extendable rotary shafting and more particularly shafting of the type used in connection with core drilling apparatus such as that illustrated and described in my co-pending application, Serial No, 121,579, led October 15, 1949, now Patent No. 2,654,572. In core drilling apparatus such as that shown in my said co-pending application, an electric motordriven unit is suspended on a power cable and the drilling tool is carried at the lower end of a tubular shaft which also circulates fluid to the area being drilled. rThe unit is provided with van arrangement designed to break off a core from the rock being drilled, by lutilizing the force of inertia of the upward moving mass of the drilling tool rather than by an excessive pull on the hoisting cable. This is accomplished by an arrangement of telescoping tubular shaft sections, the lower section of which carries the core bit with the upper sections being operatively connected to the power driving mechanism. In order toA transmit the necessary torque from one shaft section to the other, the telescoping sections are slidably splined to each other and under normal conditions the clearances around the splines will permit the circulating liquid inside the shafting to leak past the splines which naturally results in the waste of the pressure liquid and in the rapid wear of the splined surfaces by the abrasives which are unavoidably carried in the circulating liquid.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple and effective means for the elimination of this leakage between two telescoping sections which are operatively connected either by splines or key arrangements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealing device which consists of an elongated tubular sleeve adapted to be installed in connection with telescoping shafting such as that shown in my said co-pending application, without the necessity of altering the latter structure.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. A

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views, Figures l and 2 are to be considered together.

partly broken away, of the upper portion of the 3 Claims. (Cl. Z55-28) assembly which houses the circulating pump and speed reduction gearing `of the drilling device shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 121,579, while Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower portion of said assembly, showing the connection of the extendable shaft to the core bit', and

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the elongated tubular sealing sleeve used in connection with telescop-ing sections of the extendable shafting.

In the drawings, referring to Figure 1, represents the cylindrical housing of the circulating pump and reduction gearing assembly, the hous' ing being threaded at its upper end 5 for connection to an electric motor and bailer assembly, not shown in the present drawings but illustrated in my said co-pending application. A tubular shaft section 6 extends longitudinally through the housing 4 and is operatively connected to and driven by a reduction gearing assembly (not shown) in the upper portion of the housing, said shaft being concentrically supported in the housing by suitable bearings 'l which permit rotary movement of the shaft 6. The lower end of the shaft section 6 is splined as at 8 (Figure 2) for operative engagement with complementary splines in a co1- lar 9 so that the latter rotates with the shaft 6.

A lower shaft section I8 is arranged coaxially with respect to the upper section 6 and is of slightly larger inside diameter to permit the telescoping of section 6 therein. This lower section l0 carries at its upper end a heavy annular collar i I in threaded engagement with said shaft section as at l2. The collar Il which will be referred to hereinafter as an anvil or knocker, is also provided `in its bore with a series of splines adapted to mesh with the splines 8 on the upper shaft section 6, whereby the rotation of shaft section 6 is transmitted to shaft section I0, even though the knocker and its attached shaft sections may travel axially relative to the shaft 6.

The lower end of the housing i is closed by a heavy cylindrical base I3, threaded into the housing as at l and provided with a longitudinal, coaxial bore I5 through which the lower end of the lower shaft section I0 protrudes for connection elongated tubular sleeve I9 shown in detail in:

Figure 3, and its lower end. is. :provided: With an,

enlarged base 2li having a central'b'ore 2li`oifset as at 22 to receive the end of the;jsleev e1.9,.v the1 base 28 being preferably welded ,to the sleeve ,as

at 23. The lower end of thebas'e 20 is provided with a radial flange 24, which as shown iny Figure 2 is adapted to serve as a retaining shoulder, cooperating with the threaded end 25 0f the lower shaft section lll, when' the latter is screwed'into the coupling member of drill stem Ifo". An annular groove 2li surrounds the base 2D ,andis adaptedtov receive a suitable sealing ringf2'l. lwlieriithe sleeve vI9 and base 2G are inserted longitudinally in the shaft section. l0. `.'lhus, the lower end of the sleeve I9 is maintained in concentrically fixed relation with respect to the shaft section It with its upper ,portion yextending into thelower end of upperV shaft section 6 'in' Sliding'eng'agement therewith. A series of annular grooves 2S are provided at the upper end of thesleeve I9 'to receive a corresponding' series of sealingY rings 29 for sealing the upper end of the sleeve `with respect to the innern wall of shaft section E.' With this structure it' will lbe seen that the'bore of' sleeve it forms a continuation of the fluid passageways provided in the tubular sections 6 and l0, to connect the source of circulating iluid'with the hollow' drill stem t6; Obviously the length of the sleeve IB should be such that its upper sealing extremity maintains engagement with the inner shaft section 6 when the two telescoping' sections are eX- tended to vthe limit permitted by the stop` collar or j knockerl l. I Y k In operation, the entire unit is lowered 'on a cablel (not shown) into a well to drill a core land the weight ofy the bit, shaft section vl', and

knoclrerl l'l, will'cause the shaft sectionto be eX- u tended from theL lower end ofthe housing'lll and base I3 with theknoclfer f'l resting or'the'ab'utfment l1'. Whenthe bit approaches the bottom ofthe hole, the motor is started`,`butthe'advanbe of the bit naturally stops as thev bit reaches the bottom. However, the'operator continues topa'y out the cable, allowing the balance ofthe unit to descend and during the course of this' operation the shaft. section l0 recede's'into' the housingY 4 until the large collar 9' comes to rest 'onthe' knocker III. The. weight ofthe entire unit nowl is. imposed on the bit.` With the mass of, the errtiret device urging'A the rotatingY bit downwardly; the. cablev slowly' is paid .out in order'toV drill the desired core and permit the core barrel ofY the bit toad-vance over lthe same, well fluid being circulated through thetubular shaft' sections 53 and l0; all as described inimy said co-pending application.v j f Y.' :.When'the drilling of the core is complete d-,the core is atthis point still connected at its base to thenative formation so that it isnecessaryuto break it loose inv order to lift it tothe surface for examination.V Inl order to effect the detachment of they core, the operator reels in the cable with. hishoist which is started slowly to avoidY imposing undue strain on the cable as it commences to lift the heavy mechanism in the bore hole. The core barrel, being securely anchored to the core by the core catcher, produces no substantial resistance to the initial upward movement of the device since the shaft section I0 simply is drawn out of the housing as the latter travels upwardly, the bit, shaft section I0, and knoclcer Il, in effect, being left behind. With the continuing upward movement ofV the mechanism, theV shaft section l0 finally reaches the limit ofv its extension and the upward momentum of the heavy apparatus, now moving quite rapidly, causes the abutment l1 to strike the knocker Il with an abrupt hamnfer'blow andthe transmission of this blow to theV core breaks the latter loose from its moorings and carriesit along to the surface with the unit. The motor is n'ow halted.

During: the course of this operation relative movement between the upper and lower shaft sections l@ and t is permitted but leakagev of the circulating fluid from the interior of these shafts to 'the splined section where the two are telescopically joined, is prevented by the sealing. of the upperr end of sleeve I9 with respect: to...the inner wall of the shaft section E, as at 29, and the sealing of the lower end` ofthe sleeve with respect to the interior of the lower shaft section lll as at'2l.

Thevacuum caused by member fiiwithdrawing fromthe annulus between members 9 and f5 as the joint is extended, is relieved by the clearance passages inherent to a spline connection. The splines have a clearance between their outside dimensions on the. shaft and `theffemale member as alsofA between the inside dimensions ofthe female partand the bottom of" the spline groove on the shaft.v No vacuum will be noticeable since fluid can fill orbe displaced out of the space referred to at the time of withdrawal.

'From' the foregoing it is believed that my invention may be Areadily understood by those skilled in the art without' further description, it being borne in mind that numerous` changes may be'made'in the details of construction without departing from the spirit'of theinvention Yas set forthn in the following claims. For example, while I have shown and described my improved sealing device as applied to the particular structure illustrated in my co-pending application No. 121,579, I do not intend to confine the invention to suchV use. Obviously this sealing sleeve may be employed with equal effect in connection with variousforms ofV telescoping shaft sections employed for conducting a liquid or gaseous medium and. designed Vfor' relative movement between the telescoping sections,

Iclaim:

` 1i.' 'In a core breaker for a rotary drilling device, comprising a housing, a rotaryfiluid. conducting, extendable drilling shaft including an inner tubular driving partfand an outer tubular driven part arranged in. telescoping relation, means operatively connectingv the two parts for imparting rotary motion from the inner to the outer part, said outer part being axially slidable through an aperture in the bottom of saidhousing and having means at its lower end for connecting a drilling tool, said inner part being rotatable-in said heusingbut `fixed against axial movement` therein, a. sealing devicev for said parts comprising an elongated sleeve fixedconcentrically in the outer part in spaced relation to the inside wall thereof and. secured to the lower end of the outer part, with its opposite end extending longitudinally into the inner part in sliding relation thereto, means sealingy the outside Wall at opposite ends of said sleeve, with respect to the inside walls of respective telescoping parts. the bore of said sleeve forming a continuation of the tubular passage- Way in said inner part, said sleeve having a length extending into the inner of said parts suiiicient to maintain sealing engagement with the inner surface thereof when said parts are in fully extended position.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sleeve is provided at its lower end with an enlarged annular base adapted to nt closely within the adjacent end of the outer driven part, said base having a radial flange for engagement between the end of said last-named part and the drill tool-connecting means, for rigidly securing the base of the sleeve in place in said driven part.

3. A sealing device for tubular sections arranged in telescoping relation, comprising an elongated sleeve slidably engaging the inside wall of the inner telescoping section and extending coaxially from the latter into the outer section, in spaced relation to the inside wall thereof, the extended extremity of said sleeve being provided with an enlarged baseadapted to iit closely within the adjacent end of said outer telescoping section, said base having an annular radial flange and means cooperating with said ange for fixing the base to the adjacent end of said outer section, means sealing said sleeve with respect to the inside wall of said outer section, and means sealing the opposite end of said sleeve with respect to the inside Wall of said inner section.

ARMAIS ARUTUNOFF.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,672,464 North June 5, 1928 2,039,943 Wickersham et a1. May 5, 1936 2,250,574 Dodge July 29, 1941 2,252.912 Armentrout Aug. 19, 1941 

